Christmas Traditions: Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas. It is largely celebrated on 26th December in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

The first time I ever heard of Boxing Day was when I read about it in an Enid Blyton book. I don't remember which one, but the term wasn't clearly explained. So I found an explanation on my own – ah, the season of peace and goodwill, but just in case that doesn't work out, we have a day set aside for a bout in the boxing ring.

Well, it seems that isn't its meaning at all. Neither does Boxing Day have anything to do with reboxing all the presents you don't want and heading with them to the store for a refund or an exchange.

So What Is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is actually a class-system-riddled tradition that began in the Middle Ages in Britain and has maintained its status quo right to the present age.

In those times, 25th December was the day for Christmas Parties and the exchange of gifts – between friends and relatives who were your social equals. On the following day, you went to seek out your social inferiors and stoked your social conscience by giving them gifts. This practice may have begun on an altruistic note, but soon the social inferiors assumed it was their right to be given things for free and if you missed a round or two there was likely to be a wild, disgruntled outcry of, "Where's MY gift, hey, rich man?"

The gifts were handed out in boxes, and so, logically, the name 'Boxing Day'. It sounded better than 'Boxed Day'.

And, if it reminded some people of pugilist events, well, that's alright, all gifts were not freely and lovingly given.

Boxing Day And The Class System

Christmas was a time of peace and goodwill, not of equality. Gifts on Boxing Day, as mentioned, were given by the socially superior and received by the socially inferior. It was a one way traffic that never went the other way. The Lord of the Manor, for example, was never given a woolly scarf (or for that matter anything at all) by the Shepherd of the Manor. That would have been considered presumptuous. Besides it would have kind of rocked His Lordship's feeling about being Sir Bountiful. Or so the Shepherd reasoned.

Boxing Day was also a time off day for the servants, who, of course, couldn't be spared for all the Christmas Day festivities taking place in the homes of their employers.

Boxing Day In Modern Times

Boxing Day in the present age means - "The Shops are open and so are the Malls, come forth ye shoppers all!" People rush to take advantage of post-Christmas shopping bargains on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day has been a Bank Holiday in Britain since 1871. Queen Victoria was the reigning Monarch and the sun was showing no signs of setting yet over her empire. The British, with the wealth of the conquered nations at their disposal, could afford to be generous and giving. And they were.

The habit was picked up in the other commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, where Boxing Day is still a National Holiday. Now, no one talks about the class system, but higher income people are still expected – politely – to give gifts to the lower income folks.

In these countries, Boxing Day is also the time to watch or participate in various sporting events - depending on your interest, you can go for sail-boat racing, swimming, football, horse-racing, cricket, and so on.

The American people initially used to celebrate Boxing Day, but then the Boston Tea Party and all that stuff happened, and the Americans chose Independence over adherence to English traditions. So Boxing Day is not an American Holiday any more and these days most Americans are in fact quite clueless about olden Boxing Day folk-lore. They are, however, more clued in to its modern day aspects such as shopping, shopping, and more shopping.

Another event that coincides with Boxing Day is the Feast of St. Stephen. St. Stephen, as we know, was stoned to death for his Christian beliefs and, with his dying breath, forgave his killers. On St. Stephen's Day, the Church authorities open their alm boxes and distribute the collected monies amongst the poor. This too has been a long standing tradition and perhaps another reason how Boxing Day got its name.